Back-to-School: Begin with the End in Mind Resources

"BEGIN WITH THE END IN MIND!" -- Steven Covey

August first. 

School is about to launch for many children. 

School buses will begin chugging up and down their routes.

I've fallen in LUV with Lizz the Kinder-teacher. 

We got to hug and visit yesterday in real life. 

She has set things up for my author-illustrator visits in the past. 

These memories below are from a previous visit.

Seeing her so enthusiastic for the return to her kinders, 

reminded me of these earlier photos. 

{Why, YES. I do enjoy my work! Thanks for asking.}   

By the end of the school year we return back to WI! 

I got invited BACK to attend the 'graduation' of these kinder-kiddos. 

Walking into the kinder hallway, 

there were pictures of *MOI* in the year's highlights review! 

So, yes. I took pictures of the pictures! 

Cue Barbara Streisand: "Memories." 

Took my breath away to know I rate the highlight reel!

---------------------------------

Last month I was able to complete a TeacherTribute iMovie. 

With the help of many of my PreK+K Sharing #TeacherFriends..... 

I give you inspiration to BEGIN with the END in Mind! 

 

Now let's take a closer look at Lizz' Kinder graduation.

Take a look at these colorful, Kindergarten mortar boards!

Make note of the drawings on this wall. 

They are a set of 'then' and 'now' self-portraits. 

I'll give you a closer look momentarily.  

Kindergarten Graduation: Class of 2026

Everyone in Lizz's class gets a two sided, laminated diploma. The front is the official and signed memento, but even more touching is the drawing on the back, with the caption, "When I am older I will be a __________. Just you wait and see." 

"When I am older I will be a pilot. Just you wait and see." 

As if the diploma is not enough of a memento..... 
each child has a class shirt, 
complete with self-portraits of everyone in the class!
The shirts are ordered LARGER than the kiddos. 
Rumor has it that many graduating seniors still sport their kindergarten t-shirt lo, those many years later. 

I have LOTS of favorite parts of this event. 

As a former elementary art teacher, parent and now grandparent? 

My FAVE FAVE is the self-portrait drawings captured at the beginning of the year, 

and then mounted with a final portrait as the year concludes. 

Laminated together. 

PROGRESS. 

Real. Live. Tangible. PROGRESS! 

Right there as a reminder!

Who remembers how far we've come? 

Who can go back that far? 

Here is the evidence.  

So it is that we: 

Begin with the End in Mind

Look at the first day self portraits on the left. 

Compare to the end-of-year progress on the right! 

Kindergarten is the year that many children gain their bodies in self portraits. 

Many of these children have gained hands and feet. 

Most have gained clothing. 

Clothing with details! 

Incredible skills have been mastered in observation and rendering. 

Look at this Kindergarten photo booth backdrop! 

August is the perfect time to begin planning for me to come to YOUR school for an author/illustrator visit! 

For the first time in recorded history, I will be making at least two trips to CA this year. It is a HUGE honor to announce that I have been selected to present at NAEYC in November!!! I will return in February for the Southern Kindergarten Conference. 

NOW is the time to plant the seeds to have me come to YOUR school. 

It all begins with your brainstorm. 

I have an entire slideshow of my travels -- to get your wheels turning.

Author illustrator slideshare from Debbie Clement

YES!!! ALL of my books may be ordered from me directly. 

They are also over at Teachers Pay Teachers. 

*I also have digital files of 'just' the song, in Mp3 format with pdfs of the support material at TpT. 

If you are reading this article in 'real' time, 

you can take advantage of the BTS sale at TpT! 

ALL of my digital files are on sale! 

My newest digital file includes the Mp3 for the End-of-Year slideshow song, from the video. 

Now more than ever, we need to encourage our fellow educators. 

Would you consider sharing the video from your FB page? 

It was made with LUV. 

Many of our contributing authors here at the collaborative contributed images. 

I have outlined all of the contributors in this article at my own blog. 

The response to "our" Wobble Seats has been incredible! 
Teachers that started with a couple are now back for MORE! 
It is mostly a matter of budget realities. 
Perhaps you have some 'new' dollars to spend with the 'new' year? 

When you order your wobbles at WobbleSeat.com you support our extended family. 

We can accept purchase orders. 

We offer discounts for quantity orders. 

We can also give you free shipping on LARGE quantity orders. 

So get your whole team together for the best pricing. 

If you have questions, please call my husband Allen. 

He takes care of all the wobbles! 

I am so very grateful for every pin that you initiate. 

That is often how people discover me! 

Such a kindness. 

Thank you!!!

Join my 193,500+ Pin Followers, Click the pic! 

Did you see my article here last month? 

I gathered 83 favorite edu-quotes into one article. 

Sometimes we just need something pithy to encourage. 

Here are some of my other favorite RoundUPs over on my blog. 

These are labors of love created from the photos that I take on my school visits. 

Just click the photo below to go to the article. 

Critical #TeacherFriends Twitter Chat: "Over the Top" Kids

"Over the Top" Kids

recap by Debbie Clement

This past Tuesday we had an incredibly insightful Twitter Chat!

Actually EVERY Tuesday is an amazing Twitter Chat! 

This one just resonated with me. Personally. 

Our #GuestEduCelebrity was Wendy Young. 

She is co-author of the forthcoming book, "BLOOM." 

I'm going to screen shot several of Wendy's tweets from our chat. 

She is a wealth of information, insight and support. 

My hope is to support you as you support children who have challenges.

At the same time I'd like lure you into our weekly Twitter chat!

WE HAVE PRIZES EVERY WEEK! 

I know. I know. You don't even have a Twitter account. 

Or you started one ages ago and then just couldn't see the benefit. 

Let me tell you. Honestly. Twitter is an acquired taste. 

You just have to find some tweeps that resonate with you and your experience. 

THEN you can have professional development 24/7! 

IN YOUR JAMMIES! 

I'm @Kweezlequeen on Twitter: long story, just follow me! 

Let me see if I can capture just a little bit of what you missed. 

I am the moderator of our Tuesday night chat. 

I ask our guests five questions over the course of an hour. 

Everyone that 'attends' also answers the question. 

For Tuesday, the first question I asked was: 

"TeacherFriends What's your favorite suggestion 

for helping angry, 'Over the Top' Kids?" 

Now here come some of Wendy's answers............

*****These are screen shots....

Just click on the images below 

to go directly to the article quoted.

We are working diligently to get the entire chat into an organized, archived format. 

Several tech gliches have kept us from having that ready at this time. 

I will add it here, just as soon as it is captured. 

In the meantime, come wading in the Twitter pool with me! 

Can you believe that the month of May has arrived? 

I think May and I think Mother's Day. 

A while back I created this 'subway' art of my mothering thoughts. 

I titled it, "Things I Learned in Mom School." 

Download and print: VOILA! 

Give it to your favorite mom.... or better still? 

Give it to your favorite GRANDMOM!

If we've arrived at May, then it is seriously time to  get your End-of-the-Year Program together. 

I have two songs that I've written and recorded that are each perfect for this time of year. 

They are each in digital format, with Mp3s included in the zip file. 

Start today and I *PROMISE* you will be performance ready in time. 

They are each THAT simple! 

Depending on the focus of your program, 

you can either go with the three tissue self-esteem anthem,

"You're Wonderful" 

or go patriotic and use 

"Red, White and Blue" 

which has also been known to incite tears. 

They are each available at our Early Education Emporium. 

Or perhaps you are more familiar with TeachersPayTeachers.

I've had a couple of AMAZING school visits since last month, 

to some of your favorite cyber-friend/bloggers. 

I just visited Mr. Greg in Nashville..... read all about it on my blog here or on Greg's blog there! 

I absolutely ADORE this picture of their preparation for my arrival! 

They are making quilt square art in response to my first picture book! 

Greg is going with the "no table" approach to his kindergarten classroom this year. 

Give the room a whole new feel. 

Opens it up and allows for my kinder-sprawl! 

Can you find my book? 

RIGHT THERE IN THE MIDDLE OF ALL OF THE ACTION!

Be still my heart!!!

AUTHENTIC ART IN THE MAKING!

As if that wasn't enough.... two days ago I visited with Cheryl of "Primary Grafitti" fame.  

Here's the tweet that she sent out right in the middle of #TeacherFriends chat. 

The mature students are 'freezing funny faces' in response to my song, "Jumpin' Jiminy.' 

If you EVER wanted to take a peek at an 'organized' classroom, 

come look over my shoulder as I mozy around the perimeter of her room! 

Prepare to be amazed! 

{Click pic below}

Here's one more FREEBIE for you for your End-of-Year gift. 

You can download it in pdf format over at our Early Education Emporium! 

I'll sign off with a HUGE sense of gratitude for yet another of my blogging friends. 

Mary, over at "Sharing Kindergarten" has embraced the Wobble Seats that we distribute. 

I don't have to put words in her mouth, as she's written at length about her excitement over our seating alternative. 

She started with a set of four WobbleSeats and then got a dozen MORE! 

When you order a dozen we can have them shipped for free. 

April ADVOCACY! Children's Authentic Art Work

APRIL ADVOCACY! That means all things children!!!

April is traditionally the time to celebrate, honor and consider all things children. This is the official month that includes the "Week of the Young Child." WOYC hosted by NAEYC and celebrated coast-to-coast and beyond, is no doubt the most widely known celebration for children and happily evolves into 'Month of the Young Child' festivities, special events and officially-budgeted fun and advocacy. April is also honored as the "Month of the Young Military Child." {Here's a contest on that topic.} It doesn't stop there. This is also "Child Abuse and Neglect Prevention Month." And one more significant day within the month? "World Autism Day" is honored and recognized on April 2nd as widely as the United Nations. Wear BLUE tomorrow, April 2nd, to show your concern and awareness of the increasing percentage of children with ASD. Children. Advocacy. April. 

How do we honor, celebrate and commemorate children? How do we safeguard, shield and defend the innocence of children? How do we protect them? What can we do in our role with children? Where do we start? Pour yourself a cuppa cuppa. Spoiler alert: this is lengthy.

It is with such a heavy heart that I have just read the insightful and articulate resignation letter of Susan Sluyter. As a two decades plus veteran teacher of early childhood, a champion for children, having spent her recently-abruptly-ended career of over a quarter of a century in both PreK + Kindergarten classrooms, Susan has much to tell about the changing role of early education in America. Her experience and convictions have just recently been offered from the pages of The Washington Post and beyond. She had enough. She felt compelled to resign. She left. That's how gravely strong she felt. Listen for yourself. 

Visit NBCNews.com for breaking news, world news, and news about the economy

Should we be heartened that her resignation has brought national attention? Should we grieve that she left the classroom? Can she be appointed to the highest ranking ECE panel ever assembled to chart the critically necessary navigational change required? When will the pendulum return us to 'the good old days' of children's play directing the day? How many resignations must be tendered? 

I started this school year in September with my article here at our collaborative voice focused on this very issue of 'testing' in Kindergarten and the concerns voiced by many ECE educators. I gave it my best effort, beating the drum to advocate for children. I pleaded. I asked for discussion on the topic that is crumbling childhood before our very eyes. What can one little blog article add to the mounting divide between best practice and reality? 

Many additional teacher voices contributed to my October article that continued as a follow-up while taking a look at the concept of RIGOR in Early Childhood Education. The many individual teachers who contributed their experience spoke with one voice. Turns out that advocacy is not 'just' an April issue. A month is not sufficiently lengthy to get everything needed addressed. Ask Susan Sluyter. 

If you are here. If you are reading this article. If you are still reading this article, I'm not telling you anything new. I haven't said anything that you don't already know, that you don't already experience in your own heart. We have chosen this profession, the opportunity to work with young children, for a multitude of reasons no doubt. I must hope that at the very center of our daily efforts on behalf of children is an optimism of building a brighter future. Impacting tomorrow. 

With the mounting, cascading amount of brain research on the significance of the early years of a child's life, how on Earth is it possible to have such a growing divide when it comes to the actual classroom?

I was just speaking last week in Philadelphia for their annual DVAEYC conference. I got to hear Lisa Murphy's keynote. I got to hear her introduction as "the country's foremost protector of childhood, the foremost protector of play and developmentally appropriate practice of this age." I had already hugged her and we had a chance to get 'caught up' and me get personally energized from her sizzle and zing up close. Then? Then I got to applaud as she took the stage. I got to listen to issues near and dear to my heart and hear the audience applaud thunderously what we already know. She was preaching to the choir. Preaching to the choir is good, but who else is listening.

This just in. Dateline Oklahoma.

Who is it that is NOT listening? We must raise our voices and speak together with greater clarity. We must enunciate our concerns. Those pictures were taken in Oklahoma. That's my friend Kaci Hoffer on the far right. She's a kindergarten teacher and joined 24,999 of her closest educator friends to have their collective voice heard. Yesterday. 

So. No foolin'......... what is it that we do differently in April than what we did yesterday in March? How do we advocate for best practice? Developmentally Appropriate lesson plans? What can the individual teacher, parent, grandparent do to safeguard their child? This may well be the longest preamble to an article that I have ever written. Speak up! Follow your heart! #BeBrave: as the Twitter Kinderchat hashtag encourages. Stand up. Get counted. Be vocal. Vote. 

Last month was by far the biggest ever for me professionally in terms of sheer travel back and forth across this country. It also happened to include an unforeseen four days spent in the Burn Unit of Children's Hospital in Columbus OH, comforting my WonderTwinzeeKinderKid, Little Red (grand-daughter,) as she recuperated there for a full week from chemical burns from an extreme reaction to prescribed topical ointment. I am just this minute beginning to come up for air from so many emotions, slammed together in the concrete mixer known as life. My heart is full. I have seen much since I wrote here a month ago. I have experienced much. I have reflected not nearly enough. {Here's the first chapter of that saga.}

This is what a 5 year old looks like on morphine. That is her fellow Kinder friend-boy ignoring her and me adoring her.

What I know for certain? When your five year old granddaughter is so wracked with pain that she requires a morphine drip, it was not the opportunity to take a standardized test that brought the hint of a smile to her lips. It was in fact the arrival of the ART CART and her selection of pompoms and pipe cleaners and glue that offered her the encouragement to sit up in her hospital bed. It was the pediatric occupational therapist that brought plastic bowling pins and the opportunity to PLAY that coaxed her out of that reclining bed and encouraged her to put her feet on the ground. Literally. She was burned in such a way that her feet needed to be taught how to reach the ground again. I digress. 

What I know for certain is that Art heals. PLAY MATTERS. The creative process is invigorating. Play returns us to ourselves even under the most debilitating of circumstances. I saw that upclose and personal in the last heartbeat. We must defend those opportunities. For. Every. Child. 

Open ended, AUTHENTIC process Art in Preschool 

What I know for certain is that open-ended Art and the play inherent within is valuable critical to children. The article I wrote here on 'Process vs. Product in Children's Art' is our second most widely read article of all time at our collaboration. Again. Preaching to the choir. We know this in early ed. How can we share what we know with others? 

When I am traveling, I'm so thrilled to encounter what I will call 'AUTHENTIC' children's artwork. Work quite OBVIOUSLY created and completed by the actual children themselves. There are examples hung proudly on bulletin boards of the evidence. There are photographs displayed in hallways of ephemeral experiences. Excellence exists and is to be celebrated and cherished. Look at the work of these preschoolers given the opportunity to paint on their fish. Each and every single one is unique. Paint. Children. Unique. Individual. Authentic. Open-Ended. Authentic. Process. Authentic. Original. AUTHENTIC!

Authentic Children's Art

Yet. I still see 'product' oriented work as well and I shudder. 

What is it with penguins? 

They were the source of my previous rant over two years ago. 

Surely you see the difference. OUI? 

It makes sense to you. 

I know it does. 

You wouldn't still be on this page if you didn't grasp the issues at hand. 

I include this penguin picture taken in the last month for YOUR arsenal and as a chilling reminder.

I know. 

It's not quite that simple, but let it give you food for thought. 

Give children loose pieces. 

Give them time. 

Give them shiny brads. 

Let them go. 

Note-to-self. I need to 'insert' this picture into the article on my own blog, dedicated to shapes. 

Give children blocks. LOTS of blocks. Give children space and independence to create ON THEIR OWN! Need a new idea for your sensory table? Fill it with strips and stripes of color. Add some glue sticks and scissors. Let the children do the work. Let them explore. Let them create. Let them be architects. Let them be children. So simple. Let them be AUTHENTIC in their building blocks and in their sensory exploration. Develop those fine motor muscles in the midst of personal success over media and materials. 

Here's what an entire bulletin board looks like when filled with AUTHENTIC children's work in response to their visit from the fire department and time spent aboard a gen-u-ine fire truck. Each YOUNG child is given the basic pieces to replicate their own shiny red rescue vehicle. Look at the diversity in finished outcome. This is AUTHENTIC work. Each child's outcome is unique. Developmentally appropriate. Child created. No one hovered over head and placed wheels in their proper alignment. This is AUTHENTIC work. Even given the similar pieces, the outcome is different. This is developmentally appropriate 'work.' 

There are so many 'things' to appreciate about this bulletin board: 

• The children's work is OBVIOUSLY their own: it is authentic. 
• The children's work is surrounded by photographs of them and their EXPERIENCE with the actual fire trucks. 
• The caption on the bulletin board is a reminder to the parents about the significance of PROCESS and PLAY
• The display is crafted with professionalism and gives dignity to each child's work.
• "KIDS at WORK" (the border) need PROCESS and PLAY 

While in Texas presenting this winter to a group of preschool teachers I asked if anyone in the workshop knew of any 'art fixers'.... the type of individual known to tweak a child's work so that it would more closely approximate a preordained ideal. There were heads bobbing immediately. With vigor. One brave soul even raised her hand that she was the 'guilty' party. She was an 'art fixer.' There was a collective *GASP* but I applauded her honesty. Recognition of one's faults short-comings and fessing up is the first step in the recovery process. 

While we advocate for children, let's advocate for them to create their own AUTHENTIC Art. Their own AUTHENTIC work, period. Raise your hand and promise me you will allow children the dignity of their OWN work. Henceforth, if you know you've been a tweaker-while-the-glue-is-still- wet type, an art-fixer, promise me you'll stop! You must promise me you will stop. Even on the Mother's Day project, when the pressure is at an all time high, you must stop fussing and hovering and tweaking. Let's let children be children and let's start with them creating their own work. 

Here is a JEWEL of an example of VERY young children creating their own open-ended art experience and the insightful teachers creating this MASTERPIECE of collaborative BRILLIANCE. Mondrian would be thrilled. I just know it. 

Note-to-self #2: Insert that one into my Art History 101 article. 

So what exactly do we do in this month of advocacy for children? 

FILL them with affirmation. Fill them with confidence because they have accomplished new milestones. Fill them with AUTHENTICITY! Take a look at these incredible Kindergarten t-shirts created in anticipation of my Author-Illustrator school visit in FL. Here's the whole story of our amazing time together in a place of ECE excellence. These beauties were painted in response to my song and book, "You're Wonderful." 

Those teachers and parents inspired me to create a similar experience for our RockyMountainWonderPip in time for my visit to his Preschool last month. I spelled out all of those specifics in this DIY article. Put a smile on someone you LUV. Give them the opportunity to model an article of clothing that they have labored over creating.

There are so many reasons to rejoice. Excellence is ALL around us. While we were in Denver a couple weeks ago, I realized that Phoenix was a mere 14 hour drive away. That's exactly what we did. We drove there. It is my goal to make as many school visits to my blogging brethren, to visit their actual schools and classrooms as I possibly can. Last month I got to add another notch. I give you our very own Jennifer Kadar of Simply Kinder fame. 

This is her very own son coming up front, ON HIS BIRTHDAY, to be my assistant. He is helping me compare my original quilt, that I designed and sewed, to the illustration within my picture book version of "You're Wonderful." Full disclosure: he's a FIRST grader! 

*I truly adore the way that he is looking at me. 

Next up is a peek at a bulletin board of affirmation amazement created in Texas for my winter time in their midst at Amy Bidison's school. She had the idea to sit her kinders in a circle and have each shower their peers with words of affirmation. Then each child chose the descriptor that resonated most clearly with their own perception and then they began work on their own quilt square. 

Meanwhile back in Ohio here's what Heidi had displayed across her gigundo classroom wide bulletin board. Words of affirmation complete with photo tags. 

What I know for sure? Our words have power. They have strength. Giving children words of affirmation in a song? That they can sing to each other? It works. Trust me. From my original cassette tape version, on to the CD recording and now in digital download. Choose your delivery system of choice. 

Here's the digital version at our Early Education Emporium. 

Here it is in digital format at Teachers Pay Teachers. 

The other thing that I know you like to see is how other teachers organize their rooms. 

I'll wind down this epistle with some images from my recent travels. 

This system of fine motor materials is just amazing. 

And some sweet labeled notebooks, standing at attention, ready for additions. 

Early childhood is not all about 'cute' but there are times when an extra smile goes a long way! 

Now for three final links to my blog. 

Resources for this time of year. 

Just click the pic to go directly to the article. 

Spring Arts & Inspiration: Bulletin Boards, Craft Projects & Anchor Charts

Mother's Day Resources: Gift Giving for Early Childhood

End-of-Year Keepsakes for Early Childhood

Now for the final, final, final "announcement." 

Our collaborative blog now has our first official sponsor! 

We are now being sponsored by "Wobble Seat" the revolutionary seating option that allows children the comfort of movement while seated. 

I have rambled on at length at my own blog on how excited I am! 

Here's the direct link to order your own!

We (Mr. & Mrs. Clement) are now official & proud distributors. 

If you need a couple dozen or a couple hundred, just let me/us know and we'll figure out the BEST pricing possible.

Here's our first official endorsement! 

Whew. I had a lot on my mind. 

Can you do us all a favor and pin, tweet, + exuberantly from this article? 

That will help ensure it's visibility to the wider world.

Advocate for the children and advocate for each other! 

Leave your thoughts in the comment section. 

They will be read and reread and applauded!  

Debbie Clement is the happy Editor-in-Chief of the collaboration here. She has written over 100 original songs for children onto a total of 9 CD recordings. She also attempts to participate actively in the various social media of the era. She is probably best known for her efforts on Pinterest and is approaching 150,000 followers there. She also does her best to attempt to navigate at Twitter. Her newest fascination is with Instagram. She bets that you may not yet have found her on Sulia. She knows that Google+ is where she should be spending her time -- even if she still doesn't get it. Then of course she has a FB fanpage, too!  She will give the Keynote this weekend in Gainesville for ECE peers on all of the above. Next week she has an all day seminar in MN. This summer she will give the opening KEYNOTE at the national NAFCC conference held in her adopted state of palm trees and sunshine!